Sørøya
island in Finnmark, Norway
Sørøya (Norwegian) or Sállan (Northern Sami) is Norway's fourth largest island in terms of area and the largest in Finnmark county. The 811-square-kilometre (313 sq mi) island is divided between Hasvik Municipality and Hammerfest Municipality. It is often claimed to be "one of the most beautiful" of the islands in Norway. In 2018, the population of the island was 1,100.
The island is very rocky and mountainous. The highest point on the island is the 659-metre (2,162 ft) tall mountain Komagaksla on the southern shore of the island. The coastline is very jagged and has numerous fjords that cut inland from the open ocean. The island is surrounded by the Norwegian Sea on the north and the Sørøysundet strait to the south. Across the Sørøysundet to the south are three large islands: Stjernøya, Seiland and Kvaløya. The island of Sørøya has no bridge or tunnel access, only a regular ferry route from the village of Hasvik to the village of Øksfjord on the mainland.
This brief starts where responsible research should: with the source description of “Sørøya” as island in Finnmark, Norway. Everything that follows is an evidence route, not borrowed authority.
Why this record matters
The subject matters to the places & architecture register because the source frames it as island in Finnmark, Norway. Its deeper value depends on whether names, dates, institutions and citations support that framing.
The strongest evidence will usually combine a dated visual record with documents produced by the authority responsible for the place. The source revision retrieved here is dated Jul 15, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q3286995. VIAF identifies the subject as 1249148574258124430002. Authority coordinates are 70.583, 22.733. 2 of 3 selected statements include explicit references; 0 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank. The first chronological checks are 2018.
A single description cannot reconcile every naming convention, rebuilding phase or administrative transfer associated with a place. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Treat names, boundaries and functions as historically changeable. Maps, plans, inventories and administrative records can clarify what the place meant at different dates.
- Historic place names
- Jurisdictional context
- Routes into maps and plans
Contemporary maps, plans, listed-building records, estate papers and the responsible local or national archive.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “Sørøya”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow Sørøya primary sources, Sørøya archive and Sørøya research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Sørøya”?
- Which earlier names or jurisdictions may reveal additional records?
- Which authority defined the place, boundary or structure at the relevant date?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “Sørøya” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.